Kent Conrad: “The fact is there are no new bureaucracies in this bill. Those have been taken out. Our friends on the other side talk…”

“The fact is there are no new bureaucracies in this bill. Those have been taken out. Our friends on the other side talk about taxes. They talk not at all about the taxes that are being imposed on every American to pay for the costs that are imposed on society by the use of this industry's products. This is a defining moment. The question is, Are we going to protect kids or are we going to protect the profits of the tobacco industry? The estimates by the experts are that this legislation would save 1 million children's lives. The costs for the reduction in industry profits are $4 billion. That is the question before the Members of this body. Do we protect our kids' lives or do we protect the profits of the tobacco industry?”